Benefit in all directions without any harm

  Yin Zhen had already begun to prepare for the silver that was about to fall into his hands while managing the "Four Great Constants". He naturally had a plan in mind. When Kangxi asked him, he replied calmly: "Replying to the Emperor, your son has been enthusiastic about military affairs since childhood and has some understanding of Western warships. Although I have not personally seen their three-decked warships with nearly 100 cannons, I have also learned about them indirectly from sailors who came to Beijing and Western missionaries."

  Establishing a deep-sea fleet involves many aspects, first is the selection of ports, second is the construction of large shipyards, third is the foundry for casting cannons, and fourth is the training of sailors, which Westerners call the navy, because whether it's maneuvering ships in battle or navigating across oceans, professional naval personnel are essential.

  Firstly, regarding the ports, Jiangnan is the foundation of the country, and Westerners also come from the West. Considering factors such as raw materials, climate, geographical location, population, safety, etc., I temporarily propose Shanghai, Fuzhou, and Tianjin as the three locations. Of course, the final decision still needs to be made by Your Majesty.

  Shipyard, foundry as long as there is enough silver, it's easy to say, all kinds of craftsmen can be recruited with high salaries, whether domestic or foreign, as long as they are willing to work for our great Qing, we welcome them.

  The most difficult is the navy, our current water army officers and soldiers have no experience in operating large combat ships or long-distance ocean navigation, basically unable to take on the task of a far-sea fleet, so we must start from scratch to cultivate. I suggest establishing a naval academy in the port to specifically cultivate the naval officers and soldiers of our great Qing dynasty.

  "It's impossible for the ocean-going fleet to be established overnight, it's expected to take five or six years to initially take shape. Moreover, building a powerful ocean-going fleet requires a huge amount of silver, and I'm afraid the little silver I have is far from enough."

  Kangxi saw Yin Zhen chatting, saying that the head is Tao, and he was very pleased in his heart. How did he not realize that this old fourteen had such a talent before? Suddenly hearing that a large amount of silver was needed, one million two hundred thousand was far from enough, and his heart immediately drummed up, vigilantly staring at Yin Zhen, secretly thinking that this kid would not want to control himself for money. The silver in Lao Tzu's hand has not been warm yet, let alone the current family situation, can it withstand your toss?

  Yongzheng never had the idea of asking Kangxi for help, and continued: "When we build a far-sea fleet, not only should we expand our territory outward, but also grab the extremely profitable overseas trade. My idea is to first build some large armed merchant ships, which can accumulate experience for building large far-sea warships in the future, and at the same time create a far-sea trading fleet."

  "With this ocean-going trading fleet, it is possible to go north to Korea and Japan, south to the South Seas countries for overseas trade, which can obtain huge wealth to make up for the deficiency of establishing an ocean-going fleet. It can also accumulate navigation experience, exercise the navy, and a large ocean-going trading fleet is also a strong logistical support for future ocean-going fleets. Once occupying territory abroad, the ocean-going trading fleet is even more indispensable. Another point is that ocean-going trade can also allocate some shares as subsidies to flag citizens."

  The shares of the ocean-going trade fleet, Kangxi's heart skipped a beat. After figuring it out for half a day, this kid finally revealed his true intentions. Originally thought that he was sacrificing his family for the country, but now it seems that this kid is building an ocean-going fleet and getting rich at the same time. Well, this is also good, saving me from feeling guilty in my heart. However, expanding maritime trade involves great risks. Kangxi couldn't help but say: "Overseas trade is indeed beneficial to enriching the people and benefiting the country, but its harm is not small either. Firstly, since the opening of the sea ban, many cases of private escape and property outflow have appeared. Secondly, pirates are emerging, and their power is growing stronger day by day, already showing a situation that cannot be eliminated. Thirdly, the huge profits from maritime trade are increasingly concentrated in private hands, not benefiting the country."

  Yin Zhen thought to himself, no wonder Kangxi later issued an edict banning maritime activities, it turns out he already had this idea now. Isolating the country is absolutely not feasible, and it's essential to dispel these thoughts of his. Otherwise, even if Kangxi supports my plan, the extent of his support will be very limited. Yin Zhen hesitated for a moment before responding: "Your Majesty, I understand that everything must be viewed in a nuanced manner, with both positive and negative aspects. A ruler's role is to weigh and guide. As for the harm caused by overseas trade, I have a different view."

  Kangxi was attracted by Yongzheng's saying of "one divides into two", and nodded after thinking for a moment: "One divides into two comes from Zhu Xi's 'one divides into two, each section is like this, to infinity, all are one life two'. However, your statement is more appropriate, it can't be seen that your learning has made great progress."

  Yongzheng did not expect that a casual remark would also receive Kangxi's praise, and he hastily replied: "The Emperor's praise is overwhelming, I am ashamed to accept it."

  Kangxi nodded indifferently and said, "Go on, how do you view the harm of overseas trade?"

  "The humble son believes that the occurrence of any event is not isolated, and it is necessary to understand its causes and consequences, as well as the environment in which it takes place. To begin with, the phenomenon of people fleeing privately and goods flowing out of the country has existed throughout history, and is not unique to our dynasty. The reason for this is that water flows downhill and people move towards better places due to the idea of seeking benefits and avoiding harm. After our dynasty opened up the sea ban, such situations mostly occurred in Guangdong, Guangxi, and Fujian provinces. The reasons for this are: firstly, the Rebellion of the Three Feudatories; secondly, the recovery of Taiwan, which caused social unrest and made people fear another war, leading them to flee to foreign lands to avoid disaster."

  I think that it is completely unnecessary to worry, when the world is at peace and the people are living in happiness and prosperity, this situation will naturally decrease. As the Emperor's benevolent policies of reducing taxes, educating and transforming, suppressing bandits and punishing corrupt officials continue, our great Qing dynasty has already entered a prosperous era. Not only will those who have fled return, but also foreigners who admire our great Qing will be attracted to come and live in peace within our borders.

  As for pirates, with the prosperity of maritime trade, pirates are an inevitable product. Even if maritime trade is stopped, pirates will not disappear and instead will bring disaster to coastal residents. I can guarantee that as long as we build a strong ocean-going fleet, these pirates will be the best targets for our Qing naval forces to hone their skills. Soldiers who have never seen blood cannot be called strong soldiers.

  "As for the situation where the huge profits of maritime trade are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few people, I dare to guarantee that once the ocean-going trading fleet is established, this situation will be reversed immediately."

  "Spoken well." Kangxi chuckled and said, Yin Zhen's insight from both positive and negative perspectives eliminated the harm of maritime trade that had been weighing on his mind, and also dispelled his last bit of hesitation. Not only could they divide the profits, but they could also obtain a fleet without spending money, open up overseas territories, and fulfill their long-held wishes. At most, they would be criticized for competing with the people for benefits, but this criticism would likely fall on the shoulders of Old Fourteen. Where else could one find such a beneficial situation? He smiled with satisfaction: "You see through to the heart of the matter, your explanation is precise and you also have insights into military training. Very good, I grant you permission."

  The choice of the port, Kangxi soon had a decision. There are many Guangdong, Fujian and maritime traders in Fuzhou, which is not conducive to the court's control over the navy. Tianjin is on the side of the capital, which is not conducive to the stability of the capital. Therefore, Kangxi continued: "The two rivers are the foundation of the country, I think Shanghai is a good choice. Jiangsu and Zhejiang are rich and prosperous places, with convenient transportation and trade, suitable for long-distance maritime trade, and also close to Nanjing, which is convenient for you to supervise the construction of the agricultural college."

  I'll build a far-sea fleet in Shanghai, and establish a naval academy. I'll let you have it all, but I want 40% of the shares of this far-sea trade fleet. I'll give you five years' time. Within these five years, you must eradicate the pirates in the southeastern seas and form a far-sea fleet. And another thing is, how many years will it take for this far-sea trade fleet to make a profit?

  Yin Zhen smiled slyly: "Your Majesty, of course, it's no problem to have a 40% stake in the venture. As long as Your Majesty gives some protection to our maritime trade fleet, I am confident that we can make a profit within four years."

  Kangxi scolded with a smile: "Is your emperor just someone who takes money and doesn't do anything? However, according to the previous statement, you can't break the law."

  "Your son obeys the edict." This was a rare opportunity to strike while the iron was hot, and Yongzheng naturally wouldn't let it slip away. "Imperial Father, look at your son's plans for Shanghai - just the shipyards alone will require two locations, not to mention the foundry and the naval academy. These will occupy quite a bit of land, and they're not your son's private property, but rather belong to the imperial court. Will Imperial Father grant this land?"

  Yin Zhen clearly stated that it was not private property, Kangxi was overjoyed and immediately took charge, "This is natural, you go choose a good place, I will let the local officials requisition land for you."

  "Thank you, Your Majesty." Yin Zhen smiled and said, "I have another request for Your Majesty's approval. I humbly ask that Dai Zifu be sent to Shanghai to contribute his skills in casting cannons for the fleet."

  Dai Yu? Kangxi was taken aback.